Day 1 of SIM was an intense one. A lot of networking was done and I got to see some great acts that I didn’t know of. The started with the Jazz Re:freshed breakfast where I kept the London connection alive. It was a nice event and I got to meet a bunch of cool people.

Jazz Re:freshed breakfast

A little later on was the Canadian-Quebec networking event where I got to see Afrotronix perform, a great mix of African infused electronic music.

Afrotronix doing their thing

This was followed by the MIL networking event, it was time to meet my fellow countrymen. I got to see Surma perform and that was great. A one woman show that was pretty intense, check her out if you can.

Surma in action

It was time to relax for a bit so I went to see the master Yamandu Costa in action. My mind was blown the musicianship and technique. If you ever have a chance to see him play live, do! You won’t regret it.

Yamandu Costa in action with his 7-string guitar

It was then time to move to the Must Bar for the Connecting Dots night. The night started with Marmota, a jazz quartet from Porto Alegre that was very enjoyable to listen to. It was then followed by Diego Moraes, and that is a name to remember! Super groovy songs with a powerful voice. The bari and trombone added a nice texture. I would love to see him play with a full horn section, bass player and some background vocals! It was then time to get some rest and get ready for Day 2.